In the past, several solutions have been proposed for building foldable car seats. However, none of these solutions is suitable for complying with the safety requirements, in particular defined in the European standards.
Child car seats are generally fastened to the seat of a vehicle through clips of the ISOFIX type, that are attached with rings provided for this purpose in the vehicle. In addition, means allowing countering of a rotation of the seat around the ISOFIX clips must be provided. This can be a supporting leg, or a “top-tether” strap that connects the upper portion of the seat back to a third anchoring point provided in the vehicle.
Implementing such a “top tether” strap is not easy, in the case of a foldable seat. The latter must be light and easy to manipulate, which is hardly compatible with the presence of a reinforced anchoring zone of the strap on the upper portion of the seat back.
As such, a first risk identified is the non-use of the “top-tether” strap during the installation of the car seat in the vehicle. The car seat is then free to pivot around the ISOFIX clips, which represents a danger for the child in case of an impact or an abrupt deceleration in particular.
Moreover, a risk identified is that the “top-tether” strap is not sufficiently tightened. The car seat is then not correctly attached to the vehicle, which can represent a substantial risk for the child, in particular in case of an impact. This risk is even more substantial in the case of a foldable seat, as it should not only be verified that the ISOFIX clips and the top tether strap are correctly installed, but also that this is the case when the seat is unfolded and able to receive the child.